Thaw
by Ru Rabbit
Summary: The Matchachian Mountains are nowhere to get stranded. Two trainers are about to discover that firsthand. A rewrite of the Indigo League Arc's special episode, "Snow Way Out!" PokeShipping.
1. Chapter 1

**1**

This was beyond stupid.

There was no way they could have traversed them safely. The crag-filled paths; the looming edges of cliffs; the snow-covered peaks – they weren't prepared for any of it. Even from the forest below, the jagged horizon torn into the sky by these mountains had instantly struck her as ominous. No one in their right mind would have willingly chosen this route. It was beyond stupid.

But, of course, Ash Ketchum was the exception. He and stupidity simply went together, like peanut butter and jelly…

Or, in this case, freezing cold gusts of wind and a bone-deep chill that reminded anyone, no matter how confident or brazen, of their own mortality.

Looking ahead to her short-sighted companion, Misty huddled into herself as another icy gust swept through the valley, whipping her side-ponytail against her head and cutting through the coral-pink blanket wrapped around her upper body. A yellow crop top and jean shorts were nothing against this weather; her entire figure was shivering against the cold, and her bare legs felt as if they would give out at any moment. She had soldiered on for what seemed like miles – but, no matter how far they had gone, all that had greeted them was an endless expanse of ridges and crevasses. The peaks that had been so distant hours earlier didn't seem much closer. Enough was enough.

"Ash, this is insane!" she called out to him, her voice muffled by the howls of the wind. "We need to turn around right now! This is more than we can handle!"

Turning his head to address the voice, the boy peered back from under the shelter of his cap, surveying his two friends trudging through the snow as they lagged several feet behind him. Neither of them had been thrilled with his idea of a "shortcut" – after all, climbing up a mountain trail didn't exactly seem quick.

He had assured them, though. It would be a breeze. It was just a simple hike up a snowy hill and back down the other side. Going around the sierra would take days, but they'd be done with this in no time. There was nothing to it.

Of course, when they scaled the first peak and found an expansive mountain _range_ spread out as far as the eye could see, his claims – along with Misty's hand – had come back to smack him across the head. Still, he had convinced them to stay the course; it would be a little more difficult than he had stated, but backtracking would just be a waste of time. A bunch of Dugtrio hills were no match for these three. They could still pull it off.

But now, even he had started to show the same worry etched into the faces of his companions. Reality was setting in, and making it across these mountains – let alone doing it in a single day – didn't seem feasible. Still, he was too stubborn to admit defeat.

"What d'ya mean, turn around? We've gotta be more than halfway there by now! Going back will just take longer!"

"Damn it, would you listen for once?" said Misty, stomping through powder as she finally caught up to him. Grabbing his shoulder, she spun him back towards the direction the group was heading and pointed to the hazy, azure peaks in the distance. "Those are the same mountains we saw when we got up here. Does that look like halfway to you?"

"Well, uh…"

"Exactly. Those are who-knows how many miles away, we didn't pack for this, and you're an idiot. Now let's get the hell out of here before we freeze to death."

"Pi-ka…"

Ash looked down at the worried yellow face peeking out from the inside of his jacket – short sleeves of white attached to dark blue. Pikachu knew she was right. Hell, even Ash himself knew she was right. None of them had come prepared for a wintry hike, but at least he and Brock weren't dressed for summer. If he could still feel the chill through his jacket and jeans, she must have been frigid.

"Actually…" a deep voice chimed in from behind them, "Ash might have a point."

The redhead turned and gawked at the taller boy standing a few feet behind her. A khaki green vest, orange T-shirt, and dark brown jeans covered his sturdy frame, and his spiked hair complimented this as it somehow stood firm in the winds. His narrowed eyes were focused downward, staring at an object in his hand with an eyebrow raised.

"You can't be serious. You're _agreeing_ with him?!"

"Well, no," the boy replied. "But I don't think we'll be able to find our way back."

"And why wouldn't we…" Misty paused for a moment, shifting her view to his hand. "Brock, what are you looking at?"

Holding it up to face them, Brock revealed a compass in his palm. The device itself was no surprise; he was always the one to keep track of the important details: directions; meals; supplies – just about everything that Ash would forget in the blink of an eye. The rapidly-spinning needle inside the instrument's glass casing, however, was a bit more shocking.

"I've been getting strange readings off this for a while, but now it's gone completely haywire. There must be a large amount of iron deposits in these mountains. We won't be able to use it with that kind of interference."

"So how will we know where we're going?" Misty asked shakily.

"Well…" he replied, looking up at the overcast sky. The sun hung directly above them, hidden behind a curtain of stratus clouds. "We won't until sunset. For now, we're lost."

A moment of silence fell over the group, permeated only by the sounds of the whipping winds.

" _ARE YOU KIDDING ME_?!"

"Mist, calm down! You're gonna cause an avalanche!"

 _Poor choice of words,_ thought Ash, a moment later. The girl whirled around to face him, eyes blazing as she grabbed the collar of his jacket and yanked him towards her – close enough to feel her warm breath against his cheeks.

"Oh, that's the _last_ thing you've got to worry about right now, Ash Ketchum. You'd better _hope_ you get buried in snow, because that's nothing compared to what I'll do to you unless you _get us off this mountain!_ " She tightened her grip, staring him down with her patented glare. At times like these, he could never be completely sure whether she was serious. "Now … what are we going to do?"

"Well, uh …" he began, glancing away from her narrowing eyes as he tried to come up with a plan. "If we can't make it all the way across, then maybe… Maybe there's another way out. A trail that cuts off to the side of the mountains, or something!"

Misty, still clenching the fabric around his neck, raised her eyebrow. "… Like a shortcut?"

"Um," Ash answered with a gulp, unable to stop a grin from slipping onto his face. "Yeah, a shortcut."

Misty simply stared at him for a few seconds, features set into stone. The edge of her lips quivered upwards – and suddenly, she broke into a fit of uncontrollable giggling. Ash, bewildered, blinked with wide eyes as she let go of his collar and, laughs subsiding, raised her head to the sky.

"I swear, Ash. Either you're crazy, or I'm crazy for following you. Maybe it's both." She sighed, turning her gaze back towards him with a smirk. "So, how do we go about finding this shortcut out of our shortcut?"

"Hm …" Ash raised his hand to his chin in thought, only to have his eyes light up a moment later. Reaching for his belt, he unlatched a poké ball, enlarged it, and tossed it into the air.

In a flash of light, a moderately-sized bird pokémon appeared overhead. It flapped its beige wings as it hovered against the winds, feather crested head aimed downwards as it awaited the orders of its master.

"Pidgeotto! We need to find a way out of these mountains. Can you look for any nearby trails that lead down to the plains?"

"Pid- _geottooo_!" it responded, riding the currents as it soared high and away into the sky. The gang watched as it became merely a silhouette, gliding through the air and disappearing behind a ridge face several dozen yards away.

"Guys, I think we should look for a place to set up camp in case Pidgeotto doesn't find anything," said Brock, glancing up towards the grayed sky. "It doesn't look like this weather's going to last."

Ash and Misty nodded in agreement, and they resumed their hike through the rocky landscape.

* * *

"Why does Brock always have to be right?" sighed Ash, holding onto the brim of his hat to shield his black, unkempt hair from the snowfall as he followed the pokémon breeder's lead.

"Tell me about it," Misty muttered from beside him, clutching her blanket around herself tightly as her shoes crunched through the white, flaky ground.

As if reacting on prophecy, the weather had begun to worsen only a few minutes after Brock's declaration. The skies had darkened considerably, and the once gusty winds had now become gales, whipping against the travelers as they climbed up a particularly steep, rocky slope. Worst of all, it had begun snowing, and the falling crystals only intensified as they made their way up to the top of the plateau. By the time the trio reached the top, the snowstorm had turned into a blizzard, and the blinding squalls, coupled with a vanishing sun, had destroyed any hope of them keeping their sense of direction.

"Brock, do you see anything?!" Ash shouted, trying to catch his ear above the screams of the tempest.

"This way!" he yelled, turning back to them and motioning his arm to follow. They trudged through the maelstrom of white flakes and black horizons, struggling to find shelter amongst the darkness. From within this encircling void, a faint cry managed to reach Misty's ears.

"Ash!" she exclaimed, grabbing his arm to get his attention. He looked at her confusedly as she pointed off in what seemed to be a random direction, and then turned back to him. "Listen!"

Squinting off into the distance, Ash heard the familiar call echo through the valley. A snow-covered shadow appeared suddenly in the distant air, flapping desperately toward them against the high winds.

"Pidgeotto!" Ash cried, catching the bird as it dive-bombed into his arms. His eyes scanned over it frantically. "Are you hurt?" The bird shook its head, ruffling off the built-up snow from its crown as a relieved smile sprang onto Ash's face. "So, did you find a way out of here?"

"Pidgeotto," it replied, nodding affirmatively.

"Hey, what are you guys doing back there?" came a call from up ahead. Turning in response, the two spotted Brock standing several yards away. With his hand making a visor across his forehead, he took a few steps toward them as he struggled to see through the snow.

"Brock! Pidgeotto's back! He found a trail we can use!" Ash shouted.

"That's good news," he called back, his voice quickly switching from relief to urgency. "But we need to focus on getting to shelter for now. We're not going anywhere in this storm." He pointed back in the direction the group was heading. "I think there's a ridge up ahead! If we're lucky, we might find a cave to hole up in."

"Right!" Ash responded, turning back to Pidgeotto as he returned it to its poké ball. As the red beam disappeared into its interface, he took a step towards Brock—

And stopped in his tracks.

The snow felt different against his feet. The powder would usually resist against his shoes, but this time … it almost felt as if it was shifting.

Then he heard the rumble. It was much louder than any sound that he could remember – far surpassing the roar of any pokémon in existence. It emanated from all around him, reverberating through the ground and the air. Soon, the noise was joined by a second shudder of the terrain. That sound, he realized, was coming from below.

Ash turned his head to find Misty staring straight at him. Her face had lost all of its color, and her eyes were wide with horror. All he could do was say it.

"Run Mis—"

The ground around them collapsed in an instant, hurtling both of them down into the void as their terrified screams pierced the air. In a mere second, they had disappeared from Brock's view.

"ASH! MISTY!" he cried frantically, scrambling over to the decaying remnants of the cliff side. On his hands and knees, he threw his head over the edge and scanned the face of the bluff in a frenzy. Chips of rock broke off and fell from its edges, plummeting downward in pursuit of the two adventurers.

Nothing. There was nothing but of a void of darkness beyond that place. Everything that had fallen from that ledge had descended into a tomb of eternal black.

They were gone.

* * *

 _A/N: THE END._

 _... Or not.  
_

 _(Is it still a cliffhanger if they fall off one?)_

 _So. This is another old (oooold) story that I wrote years ago, back when Johto was still a thing. The first few chapters are mostly revisions, so the writing may be a little janky in parts. Nothing too noticeable, hopefully. Updates planned weekly, but if you follow me, you'll know I can be sporadic with them sometimes. Hit that button so you don't miss 'em._

 _Oh, and this -will- follow Snow Way Out ... with some minor twists.  
_

 _Merry Winter Solstice. ~(๑╹ᆺ╹)~  
_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Two chapters this week, since I don't like excess cliffhangers, either. Also, in terms of backstory: 'death in absentia'. I'm sure you can guess who.  
_

* * *

 **2**

He had been here before.

He was sure this was one of his memories as a child. It all seemed so familiar: the frigid cold against his back; the whistling of the wind; the feeling of falling snowflakes prickling his nose and chin. He was lying in his backyard, eyes closed as the world showered its frozen tears down upon him.

He had always wondered why things like this happened – why time seemed to stop as the landscape froze over. His teachers had always told him that winter, and all seasons, were caused by the tilt of Earth's axis as it traveled around the Sun. He regarded that as silly, though – much to their chagrin. It couldn't be as simple as that. The world became colder because the Earth decided to lean away from the Sun? That sounded like something out of a children's book.

No, it had to be something deeper than that. He ran countless ideas through his head, dismissing each of them, one by one, until he finally found his answer. Just like people, the world must have taken time to honor those that had disappeared from its surface. Winter was its funeral: the cold was the loneliness, the winds were the cries, and the snowflakes were the tears. It made sense, he thought – and finally, he was satisfied.

So when those feelings came back to him, and his memories, both far and recent, entered his mind, he could only come to one conclusion. He was dead. He had to be. No one could have survived a fall like that. He may as well just accept it. There was no need to open his eyes.

That was, until another familiar feeling – the brush of a tongue against his cheek – forced him back into reality.

"Pi-Pikachu?" Ash murmured, letting his eyes flit open to see the mouse's face set against the dark, turbulent skies. As he regained his senses, a stabbing pain shot through his left shoulder blade, making him groan in agony. Pikachu, who was still concealed in his owner's jacket, let out a worried cry.

"It's… It's all right. It's not too bad. I can still move," he assured, sitting up as he winced against the searing pain. Twisting to see the landing point behind him, he noticed a jagged rock, tipped with a dark shade of red, jutting above the rest. This was definitely bad, but still… He was alive. Pikachu, too; landing on his back was a miracle. He still had a chance of getting back to—

Ash's eyes shot wide open.

"Misty!" he yelled, collapsing into sheer panic as he scanned his surroundings. The ledge he had landed on was only a few yards wide. "Misty, where are you!?"

As he looked to his left, his heart stopped. A reddish-orange tuft of hair stood out against a long mound of snow. He was there in an instant, scrambling over the rocks and tossing away fistfuls of snow as he rushed to uncover her. As he exposed her head, the sight of her closed eyes struck him with terror.

"M-Mist…" he stammered, eyes welling up with tears as she remained unresponsive. "C-come on…Wake up. You're n-not…" He thrashed at the snow covering her torso, throwing it aside until he could grab her shoulders. She was cold to the touch, and, despite his jostling, lay frozen in place on her side. "Damn it!" he screamed, clenching his eyes as he began to sob. "Please, say something! You're not dead! Y-You can't be…"

"… Great…"

Ash's heart soared at the sound of the tiny whisper. Opening his eyes, he found Misty staring up at him through the corner of her own.

"I get to Heaven, and the first person I run into is a moron." She took a breath, and sighed. "So much for paradise…"

Ash could do nothing but burst into a fit of jubilation. He threw himself onto her, hugging her as tightly as he could and spouting out incomprehensible praises to every deity, real and imaginary, that crossed through his mind.

"Hey, get off of me!" Misty ordered, this time with a bit more fervor. "Stop being such a dork. You're heavy!" She struggled feebly against his embrace, trying to roll him to the side.

"You're all right!" he exclaimed, as she squirmed to peer at the face hovering above her. "I didn't know what happened, and then I saw you, b-but… Thank god. You're all right."

"More or less," she grunted, shifting her weight to lie on her back. Even in this horrible situation, she couldn't help but return a weak smile at the dirt-smeared, boyish face beaming back at her. "So…I guess we're not dead, are we?"

"Nope."

"Pikachu-Pi!"

"Oh, and Pikachu's here too." The mouse had scurried out from under Ash's jacket, onto his right shoulder, taking up its usual perch as he knelt by her side. "Now it's a party," she said with a half-hearted chuckle. "So where are we?"

"Dunno. Some ledge on the mountain side," said Ash. He looked up, staring at the barren rock bluff. It was a sheer extension into the sky, and, save for a few ice-coated ridges scattered amongst its surface, lacked any sort of protrusions. It was as if some unknown force had cut a fortress's wall into the mountainside. Climbing back up – especially in their conditions – would be impossible. "I can't even see the top," he whispered to himself, blocking the swirling snowfall with his arm as he squinted upwards. His prized trainer cap had gone missing, but there were much bigger things to worry about right now.

"But we couldn't have fallen very far," said Misty, sitting up a bit to get a better view of their surroundings. Immediately, her eyebrows furrowed and she stopped short. "…Ash?" Startled by the fear in her voice, he quickly turned his attention back to her.

"What is it?"

She was staring at the snow that still covered her legs. Noticing her focus, Ash crawled over to them and began wiping away the powder.

"Wait," she said hurriedly, causing him to look back at her in fright. "Be careful. My left leg… I can't move it."

Ash gulped as he turned back to the pile. Scooping away handfuls of snow as gently as he could, he slowly uncovered her limbs. A thigh, a knee, a—

"W-what?" she stammered, her voice filled with dread at the sight of the boy's reaction. He had turned to stone, eyes staring into the mound with his mouth ajar.

A patch of red stood out against the rest of the white surface.

Ash, terrified at what he might find, moved a shaking hand over to the discoloration. Brushing his fingers against it, he felt his heart sink as he realized it was wet. Still, though, something didn't sit right; it almost felt as if the substance had threads.

"… It's your bag," he exhaled in a rush.

"My God, Ash. Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry. I thought…" He trailed off as he scooped away more of the powder. He had cleared away most of it and found her unscathed; but, upon reaching her left calf, he found a protrusion of stone sticking up through the snow. Shoveling away the powder around it, he uncovered the rest of the mass – a large rock pinned against her lower shin.

"How bad?" she asked, flinching as his hands brushed against her leg.

"I don't know." At least she could feel his touch; that was probably a good sign. "There's a rock on top of your leg. I have to move it to see."

Misty's eyes widened a bit. She nodded to him as he looked back to her, bracing herself for what would come next. Crouching next to the stone, Ash inserted both of his hands against its bottom edge.

"… Okay. Ready?" Fists clenched, she nodded in affirmation. "One… Two… _Three_!"

As soon as he began to lift it, a dagger of pain shot into his left shoulder. In his panic and subsequent relief over finding her alive, he had pushed the throbbing of his own injury out of his mind. Now though, he had aggravated the wound, and his body was set on making sure he knew, through and through, that it hadn't magically disappeared.

He felt his left arm begin to slacken, and, gritting his teeth, forced himself to keep it rigid, maintaining his grip on the stone's underside. He couldn't let go. If he did, she'd suffer even worse injuries, and he'd never be able to forgive himself. It was incredibly heavy, but he had to get this thing off of her. As she yelped in pain, he growled, eyes bulging, as he put all of his strength into lifting the edge of the rock, swinging it away from her leg and letting it fall to the ground. A moment later, he had collapsed as well, supported only by his good arm.

"Ash! A-are you okay?!" she shouted, more concerned with his condition than the throbbing that shot through her ankle.

"… I-I'm fine. Don't worry," said Ash, biting his lip soon afterwards in order to prevent himself from crying out in agony. His shoulder felt like it was on fire, and he could barely lift his arm an inch without it becoming unbearable. Turning his back away from Misty, he tried his best to fake a grin. "That was just… _really_ heavy."

Misty's eyes shot from his face to the raving mouse riding upon him. Pikachu hadn't stopped squeaking ever since he had fallen to the ground, and its wild eyes made things perfectly clear. He was definitely hiding something.

"This isn't the time to mess around! What's wrong—"

Her voice was shadowed by another sound – one that they had hoped they would never hear again. From far below them, another rumble, this one much softer than before, reverberated through the ground. It traveled past their skins, up through their bones, and shook them at their cores.

The two froze in place as they stared at each other in terror. Ash watched as Misty's lips moved to say something unrecognizable. There were no words to match the motion; after the rumble, there was no sound. All he could hear was a deafening silence, as if everything touched by the falling snow had suddenly become mute.

They had expected the ground to give out from under them, but that hadn't happened. Instead, the ledge simply returned to its calmed state. After a harrowing minute-long wait, Ash gathered enough courage to let out a whisper.

"Mist… _We need to get out of here_."

Misty, still looking as if she had just seen a Pinsir, nodded quickly. Out of instinct, she attempted to get to her feet, only to cringe in pain as she put pressure onto her left foot. In an instant, she fell back onto her hands, sitting in the snow.

"Damn it… my ankle," she cursed, reaching out to rub at the sore area. As soon as her fingers made contact, a singeing feeling erupted on her shin. Startled, she drew her hand back and found it smeared with blood. Her mouth dropped open, and she twisted her body to see the afflicted area – covered in gashes and scrapes.

"Wait," Ash urged, crawling over to her on three-fourths. "Pikachu, I need you to keep Misty company for a while, 'kay?" He reached up to scratch the nervous mouse's chin, calming it enough to earn a happy 'Cha!' in response. It scurried from his shoulder and bounded into Misty's arms as Ash, relying only on his right arm, managed to slip off his jacket and place it upon her injured leg.

"Help me tie this," he said bluntly. The girl quickly grabbed at one end of the fabric, helping him wrap it around the wounds; tightened, it was barely wide enough to cover them. As she held a tuft of it in place to form one end of the knot, her eyes traveled from the hand occupied with tying, focusing upon his other – hanging limp by his side.

"Ash, what's wrong with your arm?" she uttered nervously.

"… I can't move it," he admitted, soon regretting his decision to tell her the truth. Finishing the knot, he looked up to see her stricken with fear. He hadn't seen that face since awakening inside the tower of Lavender Town. Misty never looked like that.

"We're in trouble, aren't we?" That whisper chilled Ash far more than the icy winds.

"We're gonna make it out of here," he said, standing up and offering her his hand. "Can you walk?"

"I doubt it," said Misty, balancing against him as she pulled herself up with one arm and cradled Pikachu in the other. Out of the blue, she felt his arm wrap around the right side of her waist, and drag her towards his shoulder. "What are you—"

"Waiting for," said Ash, nodding back towards her. "Come on." Blinking in amazement, she followed his lead, wrapping her left arm around his shoulders and leaning onto him for support.

The area where they had landed was reminiscent of a small plateau, jutting out a fair distance from the bluff's face; however, there was only one path leading around the mountainside – a descending trail that was exceptionally narrow. Their hasty search for the rest of their missing items – including Ash's backpack – had turned up nothing. So, with Pikachu in tow, the two huddled together as they took careful steps along the ridge. With Misty closer to the edge, it didn't take her long to succumb to the urge to look over.

A void of nothingness stared back at her.

Her scream pierced the air as she scrambled away from it, toppling into Ash and nearly smacking him against the rock wall.

"Ow! W-what's wrong?!" he shouted, scanning her over with bewilderment.

"We're… how the hell are we going to get down from here?!" Her eyes darted from his face to the chasm beyond the ledge, and back again. "That's at least a hundred foot drop!"

"We just keep going," said Ash – only causing her eyes to fill further with despair. "Look! We're heading down, right? As long as we keep walking, we're bound to get to somewhere flat eventually. We just have to keep going!"

"O… Okay." There was nothing else she could say. She knew that the path they were following, in all likelihood, wouldn't lead anywhere. But it was their only option, and their only hope. There was no way up and no other way down. All they could do was follow it.

So they kept walking – past snow-splattered crags; along precarious straights; around corners…

"… Ash."

He saw it too. He didn't want to admit that it was there. He had convinced himself that it was a mirage – that his eyes were playing tricks on him. But he saw it, and if she did too, that meant that it was real.

"I… I know."

They had reached their destination.

Up ahead, the path widened for a bit, forming a small, half-circular landing – and then curved back into the mountainside. Only the snow-covered rock bluffs remained.

Their hopes had led them to a dead end.


	3. Chapter 3

**3**

"What are we going to do?"

The voice that came from beside him had lost its fire. It was a dull whisper, like the ethereal sound of a candle smoldering in its last sparks of life. Any flame left out here would eventually fizzle to embers, though. It wasn't a matter of ferocity or perseverance; she had both in droves. The snow simply covered everything – the berth where they sat; the cliff wall behind them; his face as he looked towards the sky; her hair as she stared at the ground. No one could last out here.

"I don't know."

The storm had become even more violent in the minutes after their arrival to this place. The canyon walls that had aided in shielding them from the winds did little to stop the powerful gales now screaming across the bend. The blizzard dumped buckets of snow upon their tiny island. They had huddled next to each other – Pikachu nestled in the niche behind them – in a desperate attempt to retain a bit of warmth. It was no use, though; neither of them could stop shaking.

Ash turned his head back to look at the redhead leaning against him. She hadn't raised her eyes from the ground since the two had slid down against the wall to their seats.

"Some shortcut, eh?" he remarked with a deflated chuckle, making a hopeless attempt to try to brighten the situation. She didn't even flinch at his words. "… Y'know, this will make a really good story to tell back home. How many people can say they climbed up a mountain? … Not Gary, for sure. He's always sayin' I'm a scaredy-cat, but he'd never be brave enough for this." He blinked at the unresponsive girl before continuing. "How about your sisters? Did they ever do anything like this? I bet they wouldn't even believe you if you told them. But hey, I'll be your witness, so they'll have to, right?"

"… Ash."

He peered at her, moving his head in closer to hear her voice. She still hadn't moved, only whispering as she stared at the powder beneath her feet.

"I want to tell you…" she continued, her voice trembling as she did. "… In case we don't make it out of here…"

"We will," he interrupted quickly, sensing the urgency. "Don't worry, Mist. We're gonna get through this, I promise. We'll find a way out of here and…"

He trailed off as she raised her head to him. Her eyes were welled with tears, and dashes of lost hope marked her face… but she was smiling. It was a melancholy, fragile expression. It didn't fit her at all.

"M-Misty?" he stuttered, feeling his insides start to tremble.

She said nothing. As she turned her body to face him, her hand moved from her side and placed itself upon his heart. Staring at her in awe, Ash saw her lips move to speak, but they soon stopped and began to quiver. Before he knew it, she had thrown her head against his chest, clinging onto him like a lost child. As he looked down at her red, matted hair, he felt an unfamiliar wetness brush against his chest.

And something inside him lit ablaze.

They weren't going to die here. He wouldn't let it happen. There must be something they could do. Something… Anything! They weren't going to just sit here and die!

Wrapping his right arm around Misty, he began to drag her to her feet. She looked up at him in surprise – not so much with his actions, but with the look on his face.

"What are you doing?"

"Come on. We're heading back. It's a long shot, but Brock might be looking for us." Ash furrowed his brow. They didn't even know if Brock was okay, but he had to keep hope alive. "We'll have a better chance if we stay where we fell."

Misty looked back at him blankly, but she didn't resist. Regaining her footing, she leaned onto him as he looked back to Pikachu.

"Sorry, buddy. I know you hate this, but you have to go inside your poké ball," he said with a half-smile.

"PIKA!" the mouse protested adamantly, standing firm. He should have known; Pikachu wouldn't abandon his side, no matter how bad the situation. Still, one person was more than enough to hold onto in this storm; he couldn't risk Pikachu being blown from his grip and off the mountainside.

Reaching to his belt, he placed his fingers around its poké ball – only to feel Misty's hand latch onto his wrist and squeeze. Blinking, he looked up to find her staring back at the mouse.

"What?" he asked, perplexed as she pointed towards Pikachu. It tilted its head at her, mimicking Ash's confusion. "What's wrong with Pikachu? I don't see any…"

Ash shifted his gaze to the niche just behind the mouse. She wasn't pointing at Pikachu. No, she was pointing to the snow built up in that niche – and the tiny hole, about the size of a thumb's width, that marked its surface. His head snapped back towards her – both of their eyes shining with a glimmer of hope.

In seconds, they had dived to the niche, startling Pikachu as it hopped to the side. On their hands and knees, they knocked at the snow with their fists. Unsettled, mounds of the powder dropped back into an opening – a narrow, dark fissure in the rock, nearly five feet tall and wide enough to slip through. Tossing away handfuls of snow, Misty pressed her face against the rock wall and peered inside the crevice.

"It's a cave!" she shouted in exhilaration, turning back to Ash with wild eyes. "It's too dark, though! I can't see how deep!" Ash, thinking quickly, grabbed a poké ball from his belt and held it near the opening.

"Charmander, go!" The flash of light from the ball was answered by a flickering, orange-tinted light emanating from within the cove, and the salamander's call soon joined it. The hollowed-out room looked small, but it was spacious enough to comfortably fit several people. "Pikachu, come on!" Ash shouted, jolting the little mouse into action. As a strong gust whipped over the platform, it scurried under the canopy of Ash's bent arm, and hopped through the crack. "You next, Mist!"

"You first!" she insisted, but to no avail. He was already behind her, pushing her into the opening. She slipped between the crags, scooting into the cave on her bottom and pushing herself in with one leg as the other dragged behind her. Inside, she looked back to see Ash's silhouette ducking into the fissure.

And, as a massive gale ripped across the mountain's face, she saw him lose his balance and begin to fall away from the opening.

"ASH!" she screamed, lunging towards him as she thrust out her arm. Her fingers met his forearm just before he toppled backwards; she grabbed the limb and pulled with all her might. The dazed trainer fell forwards into the opening, scraping his cheek against the wall's jagged rocks as he hit the ground. He looked up to see himself being dragged into the dimly-lit cavern, and reached out to grab his savior's arm as his feet cleared the entryway.

Panting and shivering, the two collapsed as the tension faded from their muscles – Ash rolling onto his back and Misty sprawling over his chest. Shifting his view from the rocky ceiling, he managed to catch her eye as she lifted her chin to gaze at him.

"Nice catch," he exhaled, grinning as the adrenaline rush began to dissipate. She simply smirked at him.

"You wish you were." Same old Misty. Now he could really relax.

An icy wind howled into the cavern, chilling both of them to their bones. Misty lifted herself off of him, turning her attention back to the entrance.

"We've gotta do something about that door," said Ash, grunting as he sat up. As Misty slung her bag off her shoulders and unzipped it, he stumbled to his feet and shuffled to the wall that housed the entryway.

" _Ash!_ "

He turned his head to peer at her, caught off guard by her shout. Oddly, her face seemed blurry, but he could still tell that her features showed shock.

"…What…?"

She hadn't noticed it until now. In all the time since he had removed his jacket, she had never once looked long enough to recognize it. It wasn't very visible in the darkness of the outside, camouflaging itself in the shade. But, against the light cast by the flame on Charmander's tail, it was unmistakable.

Running down the left side of Ash's black T-shirt was a long, dark red stain.

"Y-you're bleeding!"

"What?" he said hazily, blinking at the girl. The light must have been playing tricks on him; the whole room seemed to ripple as it flickered. "Oh, that. …Don't worry, that's…'s a scratch. I'm…"

The last thing he saw was the floor rushing up to meet him.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: All characters are aged up by five years. Nearly forgot that disclaimer. Thanks Nami~_

* * *

 **4**

She was singing again.

Well, it wasn't singing, really. She could sing quite well, but it was rare for her to actually do it – not when anyone was around, at least. He had caught her once – alone by the riverside, near a camp they had set up during their travels. She had been startled and given him a sheepish smile, saying that the whole thing was embarrassing. And, even though he thought otherwise, he had agreed, making some stupid crack about her voice – and, like always, she had burned up, punched him in the gut, and stormed back to camp. That was the last time he heard her sing out loud.

Still, though, as they walked through the trails of Kanto together, she had a habit of humming a strange, whimsical tune – the same melody he had heard by the river. He asked her what it was; she said she didn't know; he said that didn't make sense; she said he was an idiot. Later, they had talked about it, and she told him it was from her childhood – that her mother used to sing it to her. She could barely remember the lyrics; she could barely remember her parents. He never knew his father. They had become much closer that day.

That tune really was beautiful.

Opening his eyes groggily, Ash took in the world around him. A soft orange glow, emanating from somewhere outside his view, danced upon the cavern wall a few yards ahead of him, and the crackles of Charmander's tail echoed in the background. He was lying flat on his stomach in the middle of the cave – arms at his sides, shirt pulled up around his neck and a small pillow placed under his chin. Unable to remember how he got here, he struggled to push himself to his feet.

The sweet humming was suddenly replaced with a gasp, and a familiar pain shot through his left shoulder. In an instant, he felt the warmth of Misty's hands against his back, holding him down against the rocky surface.

"Stay still. I'm not finished yet," she said softly.

"Mist… finished, wha?" he mumbled back.

"It's all right. Just relax…"

Adjusting his head and following her voice, he peered left through the corner of his eye to find her sitting next to him. She had her back turned to him, and although her head was out of view, he could still see her fiddling with something off to the side. At the very end of his peripheral vision was a tan and gold pokémon – star-shaped, five points with a vermillion crystal occupying its center. The sound of running water soon followed, and Ash realized that it was filling some sort of bottle.

"Staryu…" he murmured, his voice quickly shifting to distress. "Pikachu! Where's Pikachu?"

"He's okay, Ash. He's right here," Misty reassured, accompanied by a squeak from the mouse as she rubbed its head with a smile. "Pikachu, wanna keep Ash company?"

"Pika!" In a flash, it had bounded around Misty to meet Ash's face, licking his cheek as it welcomed its master back to consciousness.

"Hey buddy," he greeted, smiling weakly. He might have been in bad shape, but seeing everyone else safe was a welcome relief.

"Get ready," Misty said suddenly, sounding quite ominous to his ears. "This is going to sting."

"What is gon- OW!" he cried, fidgeting as a sudden burning, caused by some sort of liquid, erupted on his shoulder. "The hell is that?! Acid?"

"Antiseptic," she answered, followed by a snort. "Stop being a baby. Like I'm carrying around acid with me."

"You never know," he retorted, looking back towards her as the pain simmered. At her side was a small red case with a white cross emblazoned upon the lid, and just next to that, lying upon the ground, was a cloth littered with an array of items – a bubbly bar of soap; tweezers; a tube of antibiotic ointment; the torn remnants of a small packet printed with unidentifiable text; a scrunched-up ball of red cloth; wrinkled latex gloves; a plastic bottle filled with a clear liquid. "You've got some weird stuff on ya."

"Only you would think a survival kit is weird," she replied, rolling her eyes and switching to sarcasm. " _The invincible Pokémon Master_."

"Don't you forget it," he said proudly, soon regretting it. "OW! Not that again!" Her momentary smirk faded quickly as she, using a potion spray bottle, squirted his wound with another round of the medicated solution. As funny as his hurt ego was, she couldn't laugh at this.

"Try to lean back a bit, if you can. It has to drain out," she said solemnly. He did so – but unfortunately, she had piqued his curiosity.

"… Drain out?" he said nervously, shivering from her words and the feeling of the liquid dripping off his back.

"Well, it's a puncture wound, Ash." She bit her lip a moment afterward. That was a mistake.

In an instant, a blur of images laced with sharp objects – syringes, knives, and worst of all, the rock he had landed on – flew through his mind. The color drained from his face as his body broke into cold sweats, and he struggled to twist his body to, somehow, catch a glimpse of the injury – only to cry out as the pain returned.

"S-stop! You're going to make it worse!" Misty yelped, grabbing the outsides of his upper arms and holding him down to stop his writhing.

"How long have I been out?! Am I…" raved Ash, letting panic get the best of him. The ball of red cloth he had seen moments before sprung back into his mind – and in horror, he realized that it wasn't, in fact, dyed red, but instead shaded with his blood. "H-how bad is it?"

A new, different sensation brushed against his left hand. He felt the gentle touch of Misty's fingertips traveling across his palm, giving a slight squeeze as they wrapped around. He was unsure of what that meant, but her voice let no confusion linger.

"You'll be okay. Don't worry…" she cooed, in the same soothing, serene voice he remembered from the riverside. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Ash. You'll be fine."

His muscles relaxed as she spoke, and the beating of his heart eased back to its normal pace. Her voice somehow reminded him of the sounds of the tides – as if he was sitting on a beach during a cool, summer night. He could almost feel the breeze against his skin and the sand sifting between his toes.

Nothing could be more calming. It was…strange.

"Ash?"

"… All right. Just lay off the acid, will ya?" Misty smiled with relief.

"Only a few more times. Promise."

A groan came in reply.

* * *

"How are you feeling?"

"A bit better, I guess," Ash said, shivering. "Cold."

"I know. I had to make sure it was clean." Misty turned her head to the orange, flame-tailed lizard that stood nearby. "Charmander, do you think we can have a little more heat? We need to keep Ash warm."

Great. Now she was taking charge of _his_ pokémon. As if sitting there helplessly wasn't humiliating enough already. The shirtless boy looked from the salamander – which had obediently followed the order – to the girl tending to his back, and then let out a sigh.

"You didn't have to dump your thermos on me," he muttered. The sudden blast of cold water had, quite embarrassingly, made him shriek out in surprise.

"Be glad I didn't dump it on your head," she scoffed. "… How's your arm? Can you move it now?"

In response, he raised his arm slightly, pointing to the cavern entrance that lay straight ahead. Covering the previously open rock fissure was a tall, form-fitting block of ice. It effectively sealed the cave from the outside, leaving only a tiny open space at the top to leave in air.

"How did you do that?"

"Starmie," she answered nonchalantly. "Okay, down. I have to put on the gauze." Ash complied, blinking as he stared at the icy blockade.

"… But your Starmie doesn't know Ice Beam."

"She didn't when I battled _you_ ," said Misty, a bit of glee sneaking into her voice.

Great. She was advancing more quickly than him, too. She _did_ have a habit of disappearing for a bit of time when they set up camp; he should have figured she was training in secret. With a ping of jealousy in his heart, Ash let his sullen eyes sink downward – trailing to the left as Misty's legs, stretched out beside him, came into view. Her knees were marked with scratches and scrapes, and his jacket still remained wrapped around her left shin.

"You should be taking care of your leg first, Misty," he said sternly. "Stop worrying about me."

"Not until I'm finished here," she said, stripping another piece of clear, elastic tape from its covering as she held the gauze against his back with her forearm. "This is more serious, anyway. We don't want you fainting again."

Ash furrowed his brow at her words. Anger began to burn inside of him – not towards her, but for the truth of which she spoke. She was neglecting her own injuries for his sake – all because he hadn't been strong enough to take care of himself. The feeling made him sick to his stomach.

"Come on, relax. You're all tensed up," she instructed, placing her hand upon his right shoulder. He shrugged it off and obeyed, silent as she applied the tape to the perimeter of the gauze square. "There. How does it feel?" she continued, moving her hands to rub the skin just outside the tape. "Any pain?"

That was it.

"Look, will you lay off already? I told you, I'm fine!" he shouted angrily, surprising the girl as he spun back towards her.

"W…What the hell's your problem?! I'm trying to help you!"

"That's right, help _me_! You're sitting there with a cut-up leg, and you won't even look at it! Just – worry about yourself!"

" _Myself_? I'm not the one that collapsed out of nowhere!" she yelled back, furious at his idiocy. "And maybe if you would have _told_ me that you were hurt in the first place, I wouldn't have had to rush and save you!" Ash blinked, taken aback, as she continued. "But noooo, instead, you had to be the big hero! Look, down on the cliff – It's Ash Ketchum! He can lift a rock and bleed to death in the blink of an eye!"

"What was I supposed to do?! Leave you there?!"

"You still can't think of any better options?" Misty sighed, bringing her hand to her forehead. "God, Ash. We have these things called _pokémon_ , remember? Staryu, Starmie, and your Squirtle know Water Gun. All that pressure could have at least _helped_ you lift that rock. Hell, all together, they probably would have been more than enough."

Ash simply stared at her, dumbfounded. She was right, of course. Misty was always right; ever since they had met, he had never once won a single argument with the girl, and they had gone through plenty. She was smarter than him; she was more tactical than him; she was a better trainer than him. This day had definitely proven that.

"Sorry. I just… I don't want you getting hurt because of me," he said, lowering his eyes.

Out of nowhere, a blur of alabaster struck him upside the head. He winced from the swipe, throwing his hand up to his forehead to shield the stinging area. With his right eye scrunched halfway shut, he peered out from under his green glove, focusing onto the open palm that still hovered next to her face. Her hands had switched positions in an instant, one dropping to her lap and the other raising to deliver the blow.

"What was that for?!"

"For saying something so _stupid_!" she yelled, more upset than angry now that she understood his reasoning. Her arm dropped back to her side as she clenched her fists. "It's not like _you_ pushed me off that cliff! Why are you blaming yourself for this?!"

"But you said…!" he began, swallowing nervously as she stirred in her seat. Suddenly, that fist reared into position again, and Ash found himself leaning backwards, holding his hands up defensively. "W-wait a minute!"

"Don't put words in my mouth! I never said I blamed you!" she cried, her eyes holding a slight shimmer as her arm flopped down to the ground weakly. Turning her head down and away from him, she simply stared at the limp limb, quiet and unwilling to meet the gaze of the bewildered boy. Seconds ticked by before she spoke again, much more softly this time – holding a tone that almost sounded like regret. "You're not the reason this happened. So… so don't say that."

"But I'm the one that dragged you up here…" said Ash. Misty looked up at him with a re-knitted brow, but this time, her eyes held conviction rather than sadness.

"You didn't _drag_ me up here, Ash. I _followed_ you up here, and I would have done it whether you wanted me to or not." She sighed, closing her eyes as the close calls of the past flashed through her mind. "And I'd still do it, no matter what was waiting for us. I thought you'd understand that by now."

A long moment of silence echoed throughout the cave. Opening her eyes, Misty raised an eyebrow at what greeted her. Ash was staring straight at her, a skeptical look emblazoned onto his face.

"Yeah, sure," he scoffed, making her blink in surprise. "You would have still come along if you knew this was going to happen."

"Of course!"

Caught off guard by the instant rebuttal, Ash gawked at her, staring in awe as he examined her face – as if there was some hint among her features that would expose the real truth. There was nothing of the sort, though. She had been perfectly sincere. She would charge head-first into a situation that she knew was dangerous, that she knew could end in disaster – all for his sake? The thought seemed crazy to him, and it didn't take Misty long to pick up on his disbelief. It was, after all, written all over his face.

"What, Ash? Did you think I'd just leave you to go get yourself killed? You're my best friend!" Ash, silent with embarrassment for doubting her, looked down and put a hand behind his neck. Letting out a breath of relief, she smiled, giving him a sideways glance. "Besides, someone's got to look out for you. You being an idiot and all."

"Hey, I'm not…" he began, only to have the girl raise both arms up, motioning to their surroundings. "This doesn't mean I'm dumb! More like unlucky."

"Unlucky that you're short of brain cells," she quipped, turning back to her medical kit and digging through it as she searched for some unknown object.

"Well, you hitting me in the head doesn't help." Ash watched as she pulled a band-aid from the box and flicked her nail at its protective wrapping, and a smirk crossed his face as she muttered to herself about how irritating it – and possibly he – was. "I bet you put more people in the hospital than you save. You probably got community service there." Her fists balled up in an instant, and he instinctively slid backwards, preparing to dodge another assault. "I-I was kidding!"

"… Come back over here," she said sweetly – a tone that certainly didn't match the glare aimed his way, nor the small, devious smile that had slipped onto her face. "I'm not finished yet."

"Uh… T-that's okay. I'm fine. Really!" he assured, smiling nervously as he tested the waters. It didn't have the effect he was hoping for, though; she brought her enclosed hands to the ground, using them for leverage as she pivoted her body towards him. With the odd foot or so between them now closed, Ash cringed, screwing his eyes shut in anticipation for another blow.

It didn't come, though. In fact, for several seconds, nothing happened, and Ash, too afraid to open his eyes and see it headed his way, wondered if she was winding up a haymaker – a violent little detour that would send him back to dreamland. But, after a harrowing wait, he finally felt her touch.

It was nothing like what he had expected.

The feeling of her fingernails brushing against his chin stirred him to open his eyes. They went wide with surprise at what greeted him. Her face filled his view, and her curled fingers rested tranquilly against his skin. A gentle smile dotted her features, and her aquamarine eyes were fixated on him, reflecting the torchlight in a warm, tender look – one that he had never seen before.

His jaw dropped, mouth slipping slightly ajar as he tried to catch his breath – only to lose it again as the edge of his lips skimmed across her thumb. The sensation left him speechless, and the sight of her blushing at the shared feeling brought a heat to his face. Heart racing, he gathered up his courage, and was just about to recover his words – to ask her what she was doing; why she was staring at him like that; why her hand was, of all places, there – when he noticed another sensation, this one cool and synthetic, forming a contrast above the warmth of her fingers.

Without him even realizing it, she had placed the band-aid over the cut upon his cheek.

"I think I'll let that one slide," she murmured softly, using her thumb to skim over it lightly, setting it in place. One edge of her lips slipped further upwards, forming a delicate, lopsided smile. "Can't go beating up my patients, right?"

It was at this moment that Ash Ketchum felt the boundless, ever-so-present confidence that defined him slip away beyond his grasp. He hadn't seen this coming at all. His mind had gone completely blank. He couldn't breathe. His heart felt like it was going to explode. Seconds had ticked by, but she hadn't moved an inch. Her hand still lingered against his chin; her words still echoed inside his mind; her eyes still gazed into his soul – and with it all suddenly came an overwhelming urge to close the gap between them. All he needed was a jolt.

"… Pika?"

The two turned their heads to the side to find Pikachu staring up at them, head tilted in confusion. It had silently watched from the sidelines as the fight unfolded, but this latest development seemed so unlike them that it had let out a subconscious squeak of curiosity. Its paws went up to cover its mouth at the sight of their surprised glances – and instantly, Misty's hand was back at her side, and both of them had leaned back in their seats.

"… I-I should probably start on my leg now," Misty said nervously, failing to hide the blush on her face as she turned away and dug indiscriminately through the medical kit. "Ash, do you think you could unpack? We should, since we're definitely going to be stuck here for a while."

"Uh, sure," he responded, turning his attention to her shoulder bag. Since his own backpack had vanished in the fall, there couldn't be much to unpack, but anything was better than staying in this awkward situation.

Shuffling over to the red knapsack, he unzipped it and began to pull out its contents. As he did, a soft, serene humming began to flow through the cavern. He smiled to himself.

That tune really was beautiful.

And, oddly, now that he thought about it…

So was she.

* * *

 _A/N: Welp. First chapter that doesn't end with someone on the verge of death. Progress!_

 _This one was a bit of a struggle for me. Trying to accurately depict a situation like this without having characters kick the bucket is pretty tough. I figure that, what with all the tech they have to heal pok_ _ _é_ mon, the treatments for human injuries in this world must be pretty advanced as well. Mobile trauma kits! Hyper Saline, on-the-go~_

 _(If you happened to notice, Misty grabbed Ash's left arm in the last chapter. That's one of the reasons why he was bleeding so badly. So no, his wound's not horrifically deep. Same goes for hers. As for how Misty managed to put Nurse Joy out of a job_ … _I'll tackle that next chapter. For now: she's a badass. Enough said._

 _P.S. 'Wait, a pillow? Where did that come from?'_ … _Stick around. You'll see. :)_

 _)_


	5. Chapter 5

**5**

"You sure this is all we have?"

"For the thousandth time, yes. Now will you quit asking?" Closing her eyes, Misty held a hand to her forehead, her thumb resting against her temple. It was times like these that made her wonder how they had ever survived before they met Brock – or, in this case, his cooking. "I told you, we need to ration off everything we can. This is all for today."

Ash, twisting his lips into a skeptical look, looked back down to the spread lain out before them. Resting upon the cavern floor was a pink and yellow handkerchief adorned with a sunrise pattern, and, while not very large, it was more than adequate to hold the items placed upon it.

Divided between them: two halves of a sandwich, a pair of yogurt cups and granola bars, and a pack of peanut butter crackers.

"… So there _is_ more?"

Misty let out an exasperated groan. She had fought many fierce battles during her career as a gym leader, but none of them held a candle to the fights to appease Ash's stomach. Ironically, it too joined in on the groaning, eager to dig into their 'candlelit dinner'.

"Just be glad we have this much. It's better than starving to death."

"That might happen anyway," Ash mumbled, eyeing the paltry selection once again. The sight made him wish that his own backpack had survived the fall as well. Although the meals Brock prepared had always been delicious, they had also been healthy, and Ash made it a habit to balance out nutrition with junk food. His thoughts wandered back to the pack of chocolate-chip cookies tucked away inside the missing pack, and how delicious they had been just a day ago – only to find himself hungrier than before.

"Well, I'm just makin' sure. In case you had a secret stash or somethin'." Ash paused for a moment, and then turned his head to peer suspiciously at the girl sitting beside him as she munched upon her sandwich. "Wait a minute… You _do_ have one, don't you?" Misty's left eyebrow twitched ever-so-slightly as she swallowed.

"What makes you say that?" she responded casually, keeping her attention upon her meal. Earlier, she had told him what to unpack and where in her bag to look for it – and especially where to keep his nose out of. But, that idea had been short-lived; it hadn't taken him long to come across the food supplies buried inside the nylon sack, and trusting Ash to handle anything edible would be like dropping off your pokémon at Team Rocket Daycare. Luckily, he had announced his discovery with a joyous cry, and she had stopped the glutton before he had a chance to devour them. These are what he had found, though; they had been in the main compartment. He couldn't know about _that_.

"Dunno. You seem like you would," he answered with a shrug, looking back to his share with contempt. "Besides, this is all healthy stuff."

"Swimmer's diet," she proclaimed, giving a smirk as her eyes traveled down to his bare stomach. "Which, by the way, you could probably use." It was a lie, but it was Ash; she couldn't resist giving a jab.

"No thanks. I don't think I'm gonna stick with the _scrawny_ diet," he retorted, gathering up the morsels. From its seat beside him, Pikachu, seemingly mimicking his master's interest in food as well, watched the sandwich in his hand as it rose to his mouth – eyes lighting up as it stopped short for just a moment. "Just for today." And then it was gone.

"Chu…" it droned sadly, ears drooping. Ash turned to the downtrodden mouse with a sympathetic look.

"I know, Pikachu, but we don't have any pokéchow with us…" That comment only served to dampen its spirit further. Sighing, Ash looked over to the cracker pack lying before him, then to the salamander that stood several feet away. "Six… Well, that's even. Hey, Charmander!"

"Char?" it responded curiously, leaving its post and plodding over to its trainer as he motioned for it to approach. It had been guarding Ash's shirt and jacket, drying the soaked apparel using the heat of its tail as they lied flat upon the rocky floor. Having Staryu rinse his clothes seemed like a stupid idea – that was, until he saw the amount of dirt and blood caked upon them, especially on his shirt. Wandering around the cave, his eyes made their way to Misty's outstretched leg – her shin now covered with a rectangular medical dressing.

"Where did you learn how to do all this…?" Ash asked in wonder, surprising her with the amount of awe in his voice. She turned to him and blinked, following his gaze down to the bandage.

"Oh. I took survival classes back in Cerulean before I left. They were offering some free sessions for new trainers at the Pokémon center, so I decided to stop in. Guess it was a good idea," she answered, followed by an apprehensive laugh.

"… New trainers? You're a gym leader!"

"They didn't know that," she replied, smirking. She had made sure to change her look considerably that day to avoid being picked out in the crowd. "Daisy did most of the battling back then, anyway. Let me guess… You never took anything like that?"

"Nope."

"Figures. No wonder you're always getting us lost."

"Hey, I'm not…" Ash began, only to meet an annoyed, knowing look. Turning back to his pokémon, he took the plastic cracker pack and tore open one end. "Well, it's not like I could. Pallet doesn't even _have_ a Pokémon center, and Professor Oak doesn't teach anythin' like that. He's not exactly a mountain man." The thought of Oak actually _being_ a mountain man – scruffy beard and all, hiking through the woods searching for an elusive pokémon – flashed through his mind, and he couldn't stop himself from bursting out laughing.

"Pi?" Pikachu questioned confusedly, raising a mousy eyebrow at his seemingly delusional master.

"Nothing, Pikachu. Here," he said, still grinning as he handed one of the crackers into its outstretched paws. He placed two more upon the cloth in front of it, and then repeated the sequence. "And here's yours, Charmander!"

"Char!" it cried happily, gobbling up the wafer as soon as it reached the lizard's clutches. Pikachu, however, was only content with sniffing at the morsel, turning its nose away in disdain at the smell.

"C'mon, buddy, you have to eat," he scolded, only to have the mouse raise its head up and away from the morsels haughtily. With a sigh, he turned back to the remaining items. None of them seemed like a better choice, though; he wasn't even sure if _he_ wanted to eat this stuff.

"Oh!" Turning to address her voice, Ash found himself greeted by Misty's back as she rummaged through her bag off to the side. Blinking, he watched as she raised her arm back over her shoulder – a small object enclosed within her hand. "Here."

A ketchup packet dropped into his waiting palm.

"Mist, you're a lifesaver!" Ash exclaimed, not realizing how literal that statement truly was. She gave a simple "Mmm hmm" in response, still fumbling with the bag's zippers.

Pikachu's eyes sparkled as its favorite treat came into view. It watched Ash's every move with utmost intent, locked upon the red and white packet as he tore it open and squeezed the delicious red condiment upon the waiting crackers.

"Chaaaaa~!" They disappeared almost as quickly as the sandwich had moments earlier.

"I guess you're just as hungry as I am, ey buddy?" Ash chuckled, remembering an observation Misty had made only a few days before. Tearing open the top of his yogurt cup, he dipped the plastic spoon into the foreboding goo before reciting the phrase. "Like pokémon, like trainer. Right, Mist?"

"Yhup."

"Blech." The first taste made him wish that he had saved some of the ketchup for himself; anything would be good to cover up the bitter, pungent flavor. "How can you eat this stuff? It tastes like…"

Ash trailed off as he looked over to her. Her back was still turned to him, and she appeared to still be fumbling with her bag. And yet, among the rustling, he thought he had heard the small, barely audible crinkling of wrapping.

"… So what'cha doin'?"

Misty turned her head in surprise to address the voice that came from just over her shoulder. Hovering there was Ash's face, plastered with a triumphant grin and staring at the object hanging out of the side of her mouth – half of a Kit-Kat bar.

" _Ah ha_! I knew it!" Ash proclaimed, jumping to his feet – smug with the soon-to-be sweet taste of victory. "Come on. Cough it up."

" _Fine_ ," she grumbled, turning the sweet in her mouth up to the ceiling like a mobster's cigar. Her hands, still inside the bag, rummaged through its contents. Soon, they drew themselves out to place a torn, half-empty candy packet into Ash's waiting hand. "Touch the rest an' I'll eat you instead. I need my chocolate."

"Uh-huh." He grinned at her again as she glared at him from the corner of her eye. "So, they have chocolate _and_ people on the swimmer's diet menu?"

"Shuddup," she muttered, crunching on the rest of the bar before swallowing to regain her normal voice. "Besides, I could be a cannibal. How would you know?"

He didn't respond. Instead, she watched silently as he broke the chocolate wafer into thirds. Smiling, he handed the spare pieces to Pikachu and Charmander – both of which, after examining it for a moment, gobbled up the strange snack happily.

Turning back to answer, Ash found himself surprised by the look that greeted him. She was smiling at him again – this time with admiration and warmth. It wasn't the same as the expression he had seen earlier, but it was enough to make him blink – and instantly, it was gone, replaced by an eerie, wide-eyed stare as Misty gave her lips a quick, intent lick. His eyes slowly shifted down to the candy piece held between his fingers.

"I'll take my chances," he said with a shrug, popping it into his mouth. The redhead's previously haunting eyes now rolled in response.

"You would."

* * *

He hated the silence.

Silence meant that nothing was going on. Silence meant boredom. Worst of all, silence meant that there was time to truly think, and mulling things over was the least favorite of Ash's pastimes. Sitting down to think only wasted valuable time, and since it was rare for him to reach a conclusion that was better than the first that had popped into his head, he tried to refrain from it whenever possible. It seemed completely pointless.

So, when a wave of silence washed over the cave, Ash could almost hear the groan from inside his own head. Not only would he be forced to think about it, but he was sure it was on her mind as well. This was the first time things had been quiet in the hours or so that had passed since… _that_ had happened.

He still wasn't sure what _that_ meant. No one, outside of his own mother, had ever showed him that sort of… tenderness. It had been tenderness, and it had been _Misty_. Misty. His best friend, but the last person he would expect this from.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. He definitely wouldn't have expected this from Brock, either. Unfortunately for Ash, that thought came along with an image of Brock taking Misty's place in that moment, and he felt himself gag. Now he knew how all those random women they had met during their journey felt.

But maybe he was wrong. Maybe he had just misinterpreted her intentions. He couldn't be sure. Maybe she had just wanted to do it for the sake of it being done, because she cared about him. Maybe she was just being affectionate…

Who was he kidding? The most affection you could get out of Misty was a wallop from her fists. So she couldn't possibly… Of course not. It wasn't like she had acted that way towards him before, either. Well, at Maiden's Peak… No. That was different. She was still Misty, after all. She didn't think of him that way. And yet he had wanted to… Stop. It was better just to not think of that. Thoughts like that were crazy.

Shaking his head, Ash earned an odd look from the girl as she sipped from her thermos. For once, she had agreed with him; Staryu's water (which was, thankfully, fresh water, since the pokémon utilized the dissolved salts to help maintain the strength of their shells) probably wasn't the most sanitary thing to drink, but it wasn't as if they had anything else to share. That couldn't be what was bothering him, though; that wasn't what had made him spring up from his seat and pace back and forth around the cavern after they had finished their meals – arms crossed and head tilted down in thought. Her eyes trailed him for one more lap until curiosity – and agitation – got the better of her.

"… _What_ are you doing?" Snapping out of his trance, Ash turned to find her staring his way with an eyebrow raised.

"Oh, uh… Just tryin' to figure a way out of here," he lied, his eyes trying to avoid her glare. That was probably what he _should_ have been thinking about.

"Well, sit down and do it. You're driving me crazy," Misty ordered, leaning her head back against the rocky wall and exhaling as she shut her eyes. For once, Ash complied without protest – if only to avoid being eaten.

The cavern had become a bit darker as of late. Through their view of the ice wall blocking the entryway, it appeared that the blizzard had died down a bit. Powder no longer whipped by the entrance, though it still fell in droves. Despite that, the blackness that veiled the outside world hadn't subsided. If night wasn't already here, it soon would be.

That, however, wasn't the primary cause of the fading light. Ash looked down beside him to Charmander, nestled next to Pikachu upon a blanket Misty had set down for them. The two pokémon had curled into balls, and Charmander's tail had begun to flicker ever since it had lied down to rest. He had given it the most responsibilities, from providing the group constant heat and light to drying the still somewhat damp attire that he now wore. It was no wonder that it was so exhausted; this nightmare had taken its toll on everyone.

They wouldn't be able to try it today; that was for sure. In their rush to get inside the safety of the entrance, and the crisis that had followed, they hadn't paid much attention to the cave's layout. Once they had become settled, though, it was very hard to miss – at the very back of their crescent-shaped den was a small, narrow passageway.

It was the first thing Ash had looked into – literally, actually – after they had unpacked. The last thing the two needed was to have some other unknown inhabitant of this place sneak up on them while they weren't looking. Thankfully, though, he hadn't found anything of the sort; all that Charmander's light had revealed was a junction point – a two-pronged fork in the passage. One ended shortly at another small chamber – which, they had agreed in embarrassment, would have to serve as a bathroom if they were going to be stuck here. The other, however, quickly descended into another somewhat steep, pitch-black tunnel down through the mountain.

He didn't dare explore further, though. Neither of them was in the condition to go spelunking down into some hole that led to who-knows-where. Besides, upon hearing the news, Misty, seemingly sharing the same fear that he did, had released her Starmie and had it seal off that opening as well. Still, he was curious as to where it might take them; it could go anywhere, and that meant that they still might have a chance at finding their way back.

"… I wonder if Brock is okay."

Ash turned his attention back to Misty, who had now rolled herself into a ball as well. With her legs drawn inward, she had crossed her arms, placing them atop her kneecaps and resting her chin upon her wrist as she stared somberly into empty space.

"I'm sure he's all right. He's a lot better at this kinda stuff than we are," he assured, letting his own words run through his mind again. He wished that Brock was here, too; Brock would have undoubtedly come up with some sort of plan by now. "I don't think we need to worry."

"But he's alone."

"Not really. He has his pokémon." Now he really wished that Brock was here; Onix could probably get them out of this mess in a heartbeat. "It's Brock, Mist. Even if he _was_ alone, he's the last guy I know that'd let a bunch'a snow get the better of him."

"I guess you're right," Misty admitted, leaning back against the wall as she looked toward the ceiling.

"Good thing, too. Not like he's getting lucky any time soon," Ash added with a laugh.

"… And what does _THAT_ have to do with anything?"

Ash looked up to find her staring at him with a look of disgust. His dimwitted attempt to brighten the mood had blown up in his face.

"Um… huh?" he replied, blinking innocently at her. She simply narrowed her eyes at him.

"Do you even know what that means?"

"What… Getting lucky?"

"Yes."

"I thought it meant getting a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend, I guess," Ash explained, crossing his arms and leaning back. "Like, Brock says he'll never get lucky. Or if you wanted a girl to be your girlfriend, you could ask her…"

"If she wants to get lucky?"

"Yeah."

A huge grin shot onto Misty's face. She quickly ducked her head behind her knees, reemerging with an innocent smile a second later as her legs straightened to the floor.

"I'll tell you what, Ash," she began, reaching for her thermos as she spoke – almost as if she were preparing for a toast. "If we make it out of here, you should go up to the first pretty girl you see and ask her that. I bet she'd fall head over heels for you."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely."

The silence returned – if only for a moment.

"… Wanna get lucky?"

Misty spat out the water that she had just sipped. Cheeks on fire and mouth hung open in utter shock, she whirled back to face the boy – now grinning as he took in her reaction.

"M-Mist, you look like—" Ash managed to stutter out, soon bursting into laughter. Her now beet-red face was the spitting image of a gyarados, and the resemblance only became more profound as she furrowed her brow furiously at him. "Oh, man! You should see your face! Tell me you brought a camera…"

"I should have brought a _mallet_ ," she growled under her breath. That subdued tone didn't last, though. "Moron. _You're_ _disgusting_!"

"Hey! You can't say that!" he protested, leaping forward onto his knees as he glared at the girl. "I just said you were pretty!"

" _YOU JUST ASKED ME TO—_ "

She stopped short. Ash was staring at her, dumbfound look upon his naïve face as he waited for her to finish.

"… To what?"

"Nothing. Shut up," she muttered quickly, turning away from him as her cheeks grew even hotter. Even with her eyes shut tight, she could still feel his gaze upon her, and that just made things worse. "Just go crawl in a hole and die, or something."

Great. She was mad at him again – but what else was new? Misty was always angry with him, and this time he didn't even understand why. He had _complimented_ her – and her reaction was to flip out on him? That didn't make any sense. It must be a girl thing.

Or maybe it was a Misty thing.

Ash let out a heavy sigh, standing from his seat and trudging over to her bag. Crouching down on one knee, he reached for the zipper, but stopped himself before pulling it open. Instead, he looked back to Misty – still silent with her head turned away from him.

"… Do you have any extra clothes in here I can borrow?" The girl looked over to him with a bewildered expression, but that quickly disappeared as her anger resurfaced.

"Need to feel pretty again, Ashley?" she sneered, her voice holding a bit more hostility than she had intended. The insult only earned her a glare, though.

" _No_ , I'm not going to _wear_ them," Ash spat back, rolling his eyes. He nodded his head towards the rolled-up sleeping bag sitting nearby. "I need 'em for blankets. That one's yours, and I don't have mine."

Her mood softened a bit at his explanation, but not enough for him to notice. Without a word, she motioned for him to toss her the bag. He did so, and she flung open the zipper, taking out several items as she searched through: a bright red T-shirt, a pair of khaki shorts, and lastly, a long, sky blue sundress, folded up neatly into a square. Gathering up the garments into a mass of cloth, she turned and flung them at Ash's head.

"Wreck anything and you owe me for that, too. I'm still waiting for my bike."

"Gee, thanks," he replied, his voice muffled by the fabric now covering his skull. Pulling the clothes from his crown and setting them upon his lap, his eyes scanned over them as he spoke. "Funny how you didn't say that… Huh." Taking it by the shoulder straps, he held up the sundress gently, letting it unfurl onto his knees. From outside his view, Misty glanced back at his actions. "You never wear this."

"I never had a reason to."

Ash looked up to her, waiting for an elaboration. None came, though; she simply sat there, head turned away from him as she stared off into the rock walls with a stern look. It was obvious – even to him – that she didn't want to deal with his questions right now.

"… Well, I'm gonna get some sleep. I'm beat," Ash stated aloud, more to himself than to Misty. Gathering up the bundle and rising to his feet, he dragged himself over to Pikachu and Charmander – both of whom already seemed to be dozing – and knelt down beside them, reaching for his belt. As he brought two poké balls out in front of him, he found Pikachu glaring up at him from its resting place.

"Kachu." To him, it seemed as if Pikachu was pretty good at mimicking Misty as well.

"Come on, buddy. It's warmer in there. Just for the night."

"Pi-chu pi, Pikapi?"

"I'll be all right." He grinned at the mouse as it continued to glare at him, but even it was too tired to protest. Soon, its head sunk back to its paws as it gave a little nod of approval. As its eyes closed, a red beam enveloped its body, drawing it back into its rarely-used den.

Before he could recall Charmander, Ash's attention was drawn to a shuffling behind him. Looking back, he found that Misty had already rolled out and slipped into her sleeping bag. As she pulled off the twistband that held her side-ponytail in place, he managed to catch her eye.

"Lights out, I guess," he remarked with a hopeful smile. She didn't respond – only glancing at him for a moment before turning onto her side. Now staring at the back of her head, Ash let out another sigh.

With the second recall, the cave turned pitch-black. It was impossible to see anything through the curtain of shadows. Not even a speck of moonlight could find its way inside. All that permeated the darkness was the rustling of the trainers as they settled into their beds – one huddling under his makeshift blanket, and the other staring off into the darkness where he lay.

"Night, Mist."

"… Night."

* * *

 _A/N: Aw, that's terrible! Doesn't Misty know that most survival kits come with an emergency blanket? Is she just going to let Ash freeze to death out there?_

 _... No, not exactly._

 _Heh. I'm sure you know what's coming. Tune in later for an_ _… interesting chapter. :)_


	6. Chapter 6

**6**

She knew she was going to regret this.

She had cringed at the thought as soon as it entered her mind. If not for their situation, she would have never even considered such a thing. Not only would it be incredibly embarrassing, but just thinking about what could happen made her face flush and her hands wring nervously inside the pack. It was the absolute last resort – something of which she was convinced she would never have to do.

Biting her lip, Misty turned her head back in the sound's direction and squinted into the darkness. After the light had vanished, the cave had become deathly silent; only the wisps of her own breath had reached her ears. That feeling of solitude hadn't lasted very long, though.

It couldn't have been more than half an hour before she had noticed it in the background. Even though she was wide awake, it had been so faint that, at first, she was sure that her mind was playing tricks on her; but, as the minutes ticked by, it had become louder and more apparent, and now, the once ambiguous noise was as clear as day. Even though he seemed to be trying to muffle the noise, Ash was shivering so violently that she herself felt chills.

She knew she was going to regret this… but there wasn't any other choice.

Taking in a breath to calm her rattling nerves, she steadied her hands and moved them to the sleeping bag's zipper, pulling it open just enough to slide her way out. With an injured ankle, getting to her feet alone was enough of a challenge, but reaching him without being able to see was like navigating a minefield. Using only her ears to guide her, she hobbled along the icy floor, closing in on the noise – and then suddenly, her foot hit a soft object, and she nearly tripped over it as a yell rang out through the cave.

"VAMPIRE!" Ash cried, flailing at the unknown assailant with one arm as his other reached up to protect the side of his neck.

"Calm down, idiot! It's me!"

"M-Misty?" he replied, ceasing his attack upon the darkness. "What's wrong? Why are y-you awake?"

Good. This was her chance. Maybe she wouldn't have to struggle with him after all.

"… I need to show you something," she answered, making her voice as grave and mysterious as she could muster.

"C-can't it wait until morning?"

"No. Right now."

"… W-what is it?" Ash inquired, peering up at where he assumed her head to be. The sense of urgency in her voice had sent even more chills throughout his body. "And h-how are you gonna s-show it to me? I can't s-see anythin'…"

"Just come on," she demanded, reaching out to him through the shadows. Her hand brushed across some soft, unidentifiable fabric, grabbing onto the form beneath as she nudged him. Suddenly, a cold grip latched itself onto her arm, and she nearly screamed out in fright – that is, if another terrifying revelation hadn't hit her first.

That was Ash's hand. This was worse than she thought; hypothermia was starting to set in. If she didn't do this now, he might not make it through the night. There was no time for her fears.

Wrapping her arm around his own, she pulled him up from the bed of clothing hastily, scattering the items across the floor. Their feet trampled over them as the two stumbled through the dark – Misty dragging the protesting boy over to her sleeping bag.

"Hey, s-slow down!" Ash yelped, tripping over his own feet as she yanked him along. He got a bit more than his wish; she stopped instantly, causing him to crash into her and nearly sending both of them to the floor.

"Ow! Would you watch where…" she began, turning back to him. Even though he was no more than two feet away from her, she could barely make out the outline of his face in the darkness. "Nevermind. Um… F-first, take off your shoes."

"Uh… why?"

"Just do it, okay?!"

"Geez," Ash muttered, hopping from one foot to the other as he reluctantly complied with her orders. "I dunno w-what you wanna show me, but h-hurry up already. It's f-freezing out here."

"… Ash, we're at my sleeping bag. I want you to get in."

"W-what?" he stuttered in surprise, breaking away from her hold. "No way, Mist!"

"Yes way. If you stay out here, you're going to freeze to death, and I'm not waking up to an Ashcicle in the morning."

"Gimme a b-break," he shot back. "L-look, I was just kidding. It's not that c-cold out here. I-I'll be fine."

"No, y-you won't," she retorted, half mocking and half feeling the chill herself. "Look, this isn't the time to argue! Just get in!"

"Then where are y-you gonna sleep?"

It hadn't hit him yet. He hadn't realized just what was running through her mind. But, as he waited for her reply, the long silence that echoed throughout the cave said more than she ever could. Ash's eyes slowly widened as the details of her request came to light.

"… Get in, Ash."

He tried to take a step backwards, but her hand was back upon his forearm before he could move. Her legs were already inside the cloth cove, and she was tugging him downward to join her. Unsure of what to do, Ash simply froze, refusing to budge an inch.

"Uh, Misty…"

"Ash, it's just to keep warm. You can relax. I don't bite," she said with a laugh, trying to reassure herself as well as the petrified boy. "Come on. You're shaking."

"So are you."

Misty gulped at those words. Despite her best efforts, she hadn't been able to stop her hands from trembling. She didn't think it was noticeable, but he had felt the quivering upon his skin in an instant. Fear gripped her heart, and she loosened her grasp upon his arm – only to feel his body brush against her side as he sat beside her.

"S-sorry, I know you're cold," Ash said nervously, slipping an arm out of his jacket. "… Um… so s-should I…"

"Yeah, you go in first," she replied quickly, withdrawing her hand. "Just uh… stay on your side, okay?"

"Right." Sliding his feet under the covering, he wriggled down into the sack, making Misty squirm as he brushed against her bare thighs. Upon making it halfway inside, he halted suddenly, leaning back up as he peered at the girl's shadow. "Wait… you s-sure you don't bite? You said you w-were a cannibal…"

Strangely, that comment eased some of the tension that had built up inside her. She laughed softly – scaring Ash for a moment – before sliding further down.

"I thought… that I was a vampire?"

"Dunno. You c-could be both. Maybe y-you eat other vampires, or somethin'," Ash said with a shrug, lying back down and sliding all the way inside. As his head searched for the pillow, Misty shuffled her way inside as well, accidentally kneeing him in the side as she went. "Hey! I w-was kidding!"

"S-sorry!" she blurted out, turning to him. "I didn't mean to…"

A warm wisp of breath tickled her cheek as she faced him. She blushed wildly – her nerves returning in a rush. He was _close_. She had tried to prepare herself for this, but it was no use; that feeling had completely overwhelmed her. She couldn't bring herself to move.

"… Mist?"

"A-Ash?"

"Zipper."

Her entire face turned beet-red in an instant. Horribly misconstruing his words, she acted purely on a panicked impulse – her hand flew down to the front of her jean shorts, searching over the denim in a frenzied attempt to fasten an opening that didn't exist. This wouldn't have been too much of a problem, however…

That is, if she didn't bump into the same area on Ash in the process.

"W-what the hell are you d-doing?!" he shrieked, fruitlessly trying to scramble away against the covering. In a flash, her hand was behind her back. "A-are you crazy?!"

"N-no! That's not… I didn't—"

"YES YOU DID!"

"Wait! J-just listen! It was an accident!" she cried out, mortified at the situation. She knew it was in vain, though; now Ash was convinced that she was a succubus.

"No WAY was THAT an accident!" he shouted back, his face on fire as well. "L-look, I don't know _what_ you thought was gonna h-happen, but forget it! I'm outta here!"

"Wait! You can't!" she clamored, grabbing him around the waist as he clawed his way out of the sleeping bag in hysteria. Struggling against her hold, he flailed at her arms as she pulled him back. "Damn it! Stop!"

"Leggo! No means no Mist!"

"Would you just— _Aaaahh!_ "

"Aaahh!"

The cause of said 'aaaahhs' was simple, really. In her efforts to keep Ash from escaping, Misty had inadvertently pulled down his pants. The horrified girl now found herself staring up at the plaid print of a pair of well-worn boxers.

" _Misty!_ " cried Ash, diving back into the bag and scrambling to pull up his jeans. "What are you—?!"

She was kicking him, now. "Go! Get out! Leave!"

" _Wha_? But you just—"

"Forget it!" wailed Misty, grabbing the boy by the earlobe and yanking him toward the cold. "Call out Charmander, light some matches, I don't care! You can't stay here! Just g— _aaahh!_ "

" _Waaahh!_ "

Suddenly, the entire sleeping bag turned over. Ash had quit resisting, but unfortunately, she hadn't – pulling as hard as she could muster, she had lost her center of gravity and rolled over, taking him –and everything else – with her. Disoriented and dazed, she found herself lying flat on her back atop the internal cushioning, and blinked hazily into the darkness.

Then she felt the pressure.

A gasp broke through the momentary silence. Ash was on top of her – but that wasn't the worst of it. He had tried to keep his balance, and he had managed. His face hovered above hers, and his hand had extended down to the ground. But, it hadn't met ground.

No, instead, it had met her chest, and cupped itself around the form.

"… M-Misty, wait… I-I…"

And worst of all, he knew.

"Get off!" she screamed, batting away his support with her own arm – and, a moment later, her heart jumped to her throat as she realized her mistake. Instantly, the rest of Ash was upon her – his lips against her cheek.

Misty opened her mouth to protest, but no words came. She couldn't speak. She couldn't move. She couldn't push him off. She didn't _want_ to push him off. It had only been instinct.

That realization scared her even more. With her eyes shut, she lied motionless, unable to persuade herself to take any other course of action. Her heart beat faster than it ever had, pounding even harder as she noticed the rapid cadence of his own against her chest. As his lips drew themselves from her cheek, the throbbing turned so violent that – for the second time today – she became convinced that she was going to die.

"… I… Sorry… I didn't mean to…"

Her eyes fluttered open. She could barely see it, but his face was still right there. As she stared up at him, a second realization hit her. The anxiety; the confusion; the fear – all of it vanished from her mind. She smiled.

They were the same. He had no idea what to do, either. Ash was just as scared as she was.

"… It's okay. I know."

Ash blinked at her in amazement. He had expected a fist to the face, but her voice was soft and sweet. If anyone tried to take advantage of her, he was certain that Misty would turn them into a bleeding pulp – and yet, she had forgiven him without a single thought to the contrary.

"U-um… so, uh…" he stammered, still wondering whether she was going to kill him or kiss him. The feeling of her hands against his chest quickly broke that trance, though. "W-wait, what…"

"Can you… um. We're upside down, so…" she said meekly, giving him a slight nudge in the direction they had come from. "… To go back."

"Oh! Y-yeah," he replied, following her lead. As he tilted his body to the side, she pushed him up and around, sending them rolling once again. In the midst of the half-tumble, his hands found the small of her back and grasped on to the exposed skin. This time, the bag landed upright – Misty bouncing upon Ash as their positions reversed.

And with that, Ash Ketchum found himself in the most compromising position of his life.

The sudden feeling of her hair against his neck gave him chills. It was much softer than he had imagined; it almost felt like silk. He didn't have much time to enjoy it though, as another feeling distracted him – a minor throbbing from his elbow, which had hit a hard object in the fall.

"Ow. Stupid rock," he muttered. Those locks skimmed across his skin in response, sweeping away his breath as Misty raised her head quickly.

"OH! Your shoulder! I-I'm sorry! I completely forgot!" she said in a rush. "Are you okay?"

"No, it's… I'm fine. It's not that, don't worry," he answered, letting his eyes float up to follow her voice. A gulp soon followed – the warmth of her body upon him swiftly returned to his senses, and the pressure of her chest against his own made it even harder to breathe. "… U-uh… now what?"

"… Well… you can let go…"

Ash's eyes widened. He hadn't been conscious of it, but his hands were still against her back, holding her tight against himself. They had slid upward, too, slipping under the cotton of her crop top and lifting the material up ever-so-slightly. A jolt shot through him, and he began to pull them back – just as her voice, shaking, reached his ears again.

"… I-if you want to…"

Ash hesitated. His mind had gone blank. But, then, he noticed that the tides of air against his chest had paused. She had missed a breath, locked in suspense. The flinch of his fingers against her back must have caused that, too. _Huh. Really?_

"… Ash?"

"… Misty… are you _sure_ that was an accident?"

"Let go, moron," she muttered, trying to roll to the side. Much to her surprise, though, his arms didn't budge. Her mouth dropped open in disbelief, and she looked back down to him – and though she could barely see it, she was sure that it was there. Ash was grinning at her.

"I thought you didn't want me to let go." His voice was low and teasing. Instantly, Misty's cheeks were back ablaze.

"I-I never said that."

"Y-you didn't?" said Ash, his fingers tracing a little half-circle upon her back. Misty nearly squeaked. "Oh, that's right. It was up to me…"

" _Fine_! Do whatever you want then!" she shouted – and as soon as she had, her heart jumped inside her chest. In this situation, those words could mean a _lot_ more than what she wanted to express. Her body went stiff with fear, petrified at what might happen next.

"Okay. I'm gonna stay like this, then," Ash replied casually, trying his hardest not to laugh as he felt her fidget nervously at his words. He was walking on thin ice, but seeing Misty like this was too good to pass up. As he leaned his head back in content, he found that only the bottom of the sleeping bag greeted him.

" _Aaaash_ …" came a growl.

"Hey, where's the pill-Ow!" Now he knew its location – it had just struck him across the face. "Hey!"

"Stop screwing with me!" she yelled, raising up the fluffy weapon to wail upon him a second time. Just before she swung, though, her words ran back through her mind. "… Oh my _GOD_." Rather than landing on Ash's face, the pillow landed next to it – and soon, Misty followed, burying her face inside with embarrassment.

"Um, Misty?" Turning his head to peer at her, he saw a shady wall of orange-red. Seconds ticked by, but no response came. Realizing that he may have gone a bit too far, he loosened his grip upon her. "Come on, Mist. I'm just messing around."

A long, muffled groan came from inside the pillow. Ash sighed, a sympathetic look forming on his face.

"Okay. Sorry. I was being stupid," he admitted, removing a hand from her back and placing it upon her shoulder as he tried to comfort her. "Seriously, I mean it. I was just joking…"

"That's the _point_!" she cried, whipping her head around to face him.

"W… Huh?"

"Damn it, Ash! Do you think this is easy for me? It's bad enough that this happened, but you can't be serious about any of it! My feelings are just a joke to you!"

"… Your feelings?"

Misty bit her lip in response. He was staring at her in awe, and his words carried the same wonder. She moved her lips to answer, but he cut her off before she could.

"You have feelings for me?"

" _Of course I do_!" Ash's head shot back in surprise at the sudden shout – an astonished look upon his face. A blush covered Misty's cheeks as she sighed. "… _Please_ tell me you figured that out by now…"

"Well, kinda…" Ash murmured, feeling his face warm a bit. "I mean… it's different hearing you actually say it."

The soft echo of water droplets punctuated the silence, resonating from deep within the chambers of the cave. Ash blinked as Misty stared at him expectantly; his eyes traveled down to her lips as she spoke.

"… Well?"

She knew she would regret this. Love wasn't his strong suit, after all. At best, he'd mumble out an awkward confession, but at least she would know he felt the same way. At worst, he'd try to let her down easy, but her heart would still be broken.

And yet, she was wrong. Neither of these happened. In fact, for several seconds, nothing did – because Ash stayed totally silent.

Misty quirked an eyebrow at him. His eyes were still on her lips.

"… What are y—Mm!"

And before she knew it, he was kissing her.

Her toes curled. She panicked, grabbing onto him frantically as her bare legs slid against the roughness of his jeans. He pressed on, chasing her as she rolled, shoulders against the covers, side by side within the warmth. A fierce wind howled outside the cavern's entrance; shivers ran through their bodies. They drew away from each other, breathless, panting in the dark.

"Your lips are cold," said Misty.

"… Um," said Ash.

She grabbed him by the collar, pulling him closer.

That wouldn't do.

* * *

 _A/N: I'm alive. Shocking, I know._

 _*surprised Pikachu face*_

 _Updates might be a bit sporadic going forth, but I'm still working on this. Promise. Hope you enjoyed this one~_


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